Medical Malpractice

Mobile, AL medical malpractice attorney fighting for injury victims' rights, one case at a time

Surgeons, doctors, nurses and other medical professionals in Alabama have responsibility to care for people in a responsible, ethical manner. When they fail to do so, the consequences can often be catastrophic. Serious personal injuries and fatalities can occur due to medical errors.

Knowing what to do after such a serious accident can be confusing. The healthcare provider who caused your injury might claim they did nothing wrong. And taking on a large hospital like Providence Hospital, Springhill Medical Center or the University of South Alabama Medical Center in Mobile, Alabama can be overwhelming.

We understand your concerns and want to help. If you think you have grounds for a medical malpractice claim, get in touch with attorney Dean Waite today for a free consultation. Find out how Dean Waite & Associates, LLC can make a meaningful difference for you medical negligence case. Our firm handles claims in Mobile and throughout Alabama.

What is medical malpractice?

If your doctor or another medical professional caused your injury through negligent or careless behavior, the legal term to describe such an incident is medical malpractice. Attorneys often use this term, which basically means a medical error occurred, resulting in an injury.

Different state and federal agencies oversee medical professionals in Alabama to make sure such errors do not occur. When a malpractice case is reported, those agencies investigate whether a hospital, doctor or another medical professional broke any laws or violated any ethics codes.

But you shouldn't simply rely on official investigators to handle your case. You need an attorney on your side looking out for your best interests. Don't hesitate ... Call Dean Contact attorney Waite as soon as possible to discuss the details of your case.

How can Dean Waite help me with my Alabama medical malpractice claim?

When you have an experienced Alabama medical malpractice lawyer working for you, you can take a tough stance against the person or business responsible for your injury or fatality. You can dictate what happens.

Dean Waite can help you every step of the way - from dealing directly with the hospital to obtaining a copy of your medical records and consulting with experts to review your file for any inconsistencies or irregularities.

Allow us to handle all the red tape so you can focus on what matters most - your health. Contact us today and schedule a free case evaluation. Call (866) 434-5840. We can meet with you in our Mobile, Ala. office, your home, your hospital room or wherever works best for you.

Dean Waite & Associates, LLC - a name you can trust to make things right.

Medical malpractice cases in Alabama cover a wide range of cases. If you suspect that you or a loved one sustained an injury or died as a result of any of these medical errors, contact our law firm immediately:

Instruments left inside patient - A doctor might leave surgical instruments, sponges or gauze inside a patient's body after performing an operation and suturing the incision. When such errors occur, the patient might suffer a grave infection or other complications. This type of mistake happens more often than you think. Many hospitals have rules that require the counting of instruments prior to and after surgery, but medical professionals sometimes fail to follow procedures.

Burns during surgery - Some surgery requires the use of equipment that could lead to serious burns during if not used properly. Examples of burns that might be caused by medical negligence include radiation burns, laser burns, chemical burns, electrical burns and thermal burns. Sometimes, a surgical instrument is sterilized in a process known as autoclaving, which uses heat. If the instrument is used before it properly cools, a burn injury might result. A burn injury can not only be painful, but also may result in permanent scarring. Victims often must cope with emotional distress because of the disfigurement

Anesthesia errors - Too much anesthesia or not enough can cause serious health problems. So can administering the wrong anesthesia, not giving patients enough oxygen while anesthetized. Patients with sleep apnea are particularly at risk of potentially deadly complications.

Birth injuries - Obstetricians (doctors who deliver babies) undergo rigorous training. That's because serious, life-altering health conditions can affect a newborn child who is not delivered correctly. Some of the most common - and most severe birth injuries - include:

Cerebral Palsy

Brachial Plexus Damage

Brain Damage

Erb's Palsy

Klumpke's Palsy

Paralysis

Delay of treatment - Serious health problems - and even fatalities - routinely occur because doctors or hospitals delay treating a patient. Sometimes, such delays occur in emergency rooms. Other times, people with long-term illnesses such as cancer do not receive proper medical care in a timely manner.

Medication errors - Patients given the wrong medication can develop even worse medical problems than what they first had. That's why it's critical that doctors prescribe the right medication and carefully monitor a patient's progress to see if the drug causes any dangerous side effects.

Misdiagnosis - Doctors who misdiagnose or don't diagnose a disease in time often put patients' health severely at risk. A common - and potentially deadly - type of misdiagnosis is failure to diagnose cancer.

Negligent prenatal care - Pregnant mothers and their unborn babies rely on doctors to provide proper medical care during pregnancy. When doctors fail to do so, the health consequences can often be very severe. The health of a mother or her child could be put at risk. Unborn children can also develop physical or mental problems due to negligent prenatal care.

Surgical errors - Operating on the wrong body part, performing the wrong surgical procedure or performing the procedure incorrectly are just some examples of surgical errors that result in severe medical problems with patients. The death of patient due to a surgical error also sometimes occurs in certain circumstances, which may be grounds for a wrongful death lawsuit.

The hospital or doctor who performed the medical procedure that resulted in your medical malpractice case will likely be held liable. Ultimately, the doctor's or the hospital's insurance company must compensate the victim or family whose loved one died because of negligence. While the insurance company might settle a lawsuit is even filed, sometimes malpractice victims must wait for a jury to decide. Attorney Dean Waite is prepared to argue a case before a jury if that's what's required to get justice.

There is no set dollar amount for different medical malpractice cases. Each one is unique. Settlement and verdict amounts can vary from a few hundred dollars to millions of dollars depending on the circumstances surrounding your case.

With so much at stake in a medical malpractice case, it's best to review any offer with an attorney. As your attorney, we can examine your offer with you and discuss its pros and cons. If we believe your offer is reasonable, we'll tell you. If not, we're prepared to fight on your behalf through continued negotiations or litigation.

You may not have to go through the ordeal of filing a medical malpractice lawsuit to resolve your case. Most cases, in fact, end in settlements after negotiations. You likely have many legal options available to you. We can discuss all of them with you and help you decide the best course of action.

From the date of the act or omission giving rise to the claim or the date of the death of a loved one, you have two years to file a medical malpractice lawsuit in Alabama. If you discovered that you were a victim of medical malpractice outside of the two-year window (and you could not have reasonably discovered it during the two-year period), then you must take legal action within six months of the discovery. There are exceptions, so it's best to speak about your specific case with Dean Waite as soon as possible.

As your attorney, we're prepared to carefully gather evidence to make your case stronger. This includes carefully analyzing medical records, interviewing witnesses if possible and consulting with experts in their field.